The producers didn’t want to make it work.
In an interview with People, Tim Gunn revealed that he was not asked to rejoin Project Runway for the recently announced 21st season alongside former co-host Heidi Klum.
“I called my agent and he knew things were going on, but he contacted the executive producers of this new show, and they said, ‘We don’t want him,’” Tim said. “And [my agent] said, ‘Well, he’s done 19 seasons of ‘Runway,’ 16 with Heidi. The two of them won an Emmy together as hosts, and now you’re going to separate them?’ And they said yes.”Tim mentored the designers on ‘Project Runway’ from its first season in 2004 through 2017, where the show aired on Bravo then Lifetime, as well as on the spinoff Project Runway: Junior, which ran for two seasons on Lifetime.
Heidi and Tim left the show in 2018 to launch Making the Cut, which ran on Amazon for three seasons. They were replaced by season four winner Christian Siriano and supermodel Karlie Kloss.
According to Tim, Heidi fought to bring him back to the show, which may have resulted in a small offer from producers. “[S]everal weeks after that conversation, they went back to [my agent] and said, ‘Well, we’ve thought about it and we’d be willing to offer Tim a small cameo in one episode,’” he told People. “What do I do? Wave from a bus? As the designers are going into Mood [Fabrics]? Heidi comes to see me at the retirement home and we play croquet? So no thank you.”
In addition to ‘Making the Cut,’ supermodel Heidi has also served as co-host on America’s Got Talent and Germany’s Next Topmodel. Once a faculty member and administrator at Parsons School of Design in New York, Tim hosted two seasons of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, has written books and served as the chief creative director for Liz Claiborne.
Initially hurt and disappointed to not be asked back to ‘Project Runway,’ Tim shared he’s gained new perspective on what the show has meant to him from this experience.
“I thought, how lucky am I to have had the experiences that I’ve had over the last 20 years?” he said in the interview. “This is phenomenal. I stopped the boo-hooing. I thought, it’s really throwing hubris in the face of an angry God to mourn not being on this new show. So I’ve come to terms with it. Am I disappointed? Sure. And most of all, it’s about not working with Heidi, but we move on and things happen for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is yet, but it will be revealed.”
He even plans to watch the new season and cheer on Heidi. “I have her back and I’m with her in spirit always,” Tim told People.
The 21st season of ‘Project Runway’ will feature 10 episodes and air on Freeform, Disney+ and Hulu. A premier date and judges panel have yet to be announced.
(Photos: Instagram)
14 Responses
I LOVE Tim! However, Christian is a better fit. He offers so much more to the Designers. I wish both of them could be on the show! That would be awesome. I’m sure they could come up with a way to have them both.
Getting Deja vu from when Dancing with the Stars producers fired Tom Bergeron (plus Erin Andrews) to be replaced by Tyra Banks. The hosts were the last thing the fans wanted the show to reformat.
Tim is the best part of Project Runway. How could they ignore his talent. The two of them added so much to the designers point of view. They made a great team. Shame on the new producers.
Vickie G.
Tim Gunn is the reason for watching.
So disappointing!!
I’ve never liked Heidi but have always loved Tim Gunn. It would have been great to have him back. But I do think Christian Siriano is as good a replacement for Tim as you could hope for.
I’ll miss future seasons anyway since I don’t do streaming services. Too expensive on top of what I already pay for cable.
Mistake.
Project Runway IS Tim Gunn.
Certainly more Tim than Heidi.
Tim Gunn used to be my favorite until they did that spin off show and he was so ugly to that young female designer and encouraged the workroom mentors on the show in their torment and harassment of her. Then when it came time to judge he opposed rewarding that young designer and it was obvious to the actual judges and all who watched that he was totally in the bag for the other designers and was dogging her and they were shocked. That whole show left a terrible impression and I remember that many fans were furious with the entire situation and changed their minds about Tim Gunn from then on.
So I don’t miss him. I don’t want to watch him on anything. He really showed his ass and it wasn’t pretty.
I do love to watch Project Runway, but knowing they were ugly to the iconic Tim Gunn makes me think I’ll take a pass
Tim Gunn was the ONLY reason I watched the show. Klum is obnoxious, and the designers were obviously very talented, but this girl only wears Wranglers (and some Ariat). Tim always was so kind and helpful. And you couldn’t pay me to watch anything from Disney.
I haven’t watched this in years but I read the entire article in Tim Gunn’s iconic voice.😆
Unbelievably shortsighted of them not to bring Tim back to the show. How are they not in touch with the show’s fan base to know that we want to see him every episode interacting with the designers? THAT’S what made the show! Sadly I won’t be watching if he’s not on the show. Sigh…
Tim Gunn was the entire purpose of that show.
Best of luck to him.